German Cancer Research Center

Time 2020-07-24 03:05:20

Web Name: German Cancer Research Center

WebSite: http://www.dkfz.de

ID:33084

Keywords:

Cancer,German,Center,

Description:

A protective vaccination against the parasite Plasmodium falciparum and thus against the dreaded malaria tropica should ideally take effect immediately after transmission of the pathogen. However, it is precisely at this stage of the parasite infection that the body's own defence system shows clear weaknesses. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have investigated what kind of antibodies are particularly effective here. The goal is to design future vaccines in such a way that the immune system mainly produces these highly effective antibodies. This could considerably improve the protective effect. Daily work routine of our more than 1,300 scientists at the DKFZ for the most part takes place in laboratories with different safety levels. Biological safety levels (at DKFZ: BSL1-BSL3) are based on the risk classification of the biological (or biomedical) work carried out. Each laboratory is designed around the safety level of its research, including the laboratory equipment, the specific working practices, and the typical protective equipment worn. New Clues from Fruit Flies about the Critical Role of Sex Hormones in Stem Cell Control In one of the first studies addressing the role of sex hormones' impact on stem cells in the gut, scientists outline new insights showing how a steroidal sex hormone, that is structurally and functionally similar to human steroid hormones, drastically alters the way intestinal stem cells behave, ultimately affecting the overarching structure and function of this critical organ. The authors found that ecdysone, a steroid hormone produced by fruit flies, stimulates intestinal stem cell growth and causes the gut of the female fruit fly to grow in size, and induces other critical changes. The study also provides a mechanism to account for sex-specific roles for intestinal stem cells in normal gut function. Moreover, the research presents evidence that gut hormones may accelerate tumor development. The findings, reported jointly by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U), are published in the journal Nature. Ursula Klingmüller, Ana Martin-Villalba, and Aurelio Teleman have been admitted to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) for their outstanding research. EMBO is an organization of more than 1,800 researchers deemed to be among the best in the world in their areas of research. A special RNA molecule ensures faster growth and stops cell ageing in many types of cancer. This was discovered by scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and partners in the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK) at the University Hospital Freiburg. If this RNA is switched off, the cell no longer has sufficient building blocks for DNA synthesis and cell division is slowed down. In future, the researchers plan to investigate whether the RNA molecule is suitable as a potential target for new cancer therapies. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh have been studying the evolution of tumors following chemical damage. They discovered that the DNA lesions caused by the chemical are not eliminated immediately, but are passed on unrepaired over several rounds of cell division. This "lesion segregation" can drive unexpectedly complex patterns of mutations in the tumor genome, as the scientists have now published in the journal Nature. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a new and in some cases highly effective form of immunotherapy to treat certain types of cancer of the blood and lymph system. This promising treatment comes at a cost, however: The manufacturers charge up to EUR 320,000 for the production of immune cells for a single patient. By determining the fixed and variable costs involved, researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) established that cellular immunotherapy could be produced at a scientific institution such as DKFZ at around a tenth of the cost. In the fight against cancer or chronic infections, the immune system must be active over long periods of time. However, in the long run, the immune defence system often becomes exhausted. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now found initial evidence in mice that skeletal muscles help to keep the immune system functional in chronic diseases. Chromothripsis is a form of genome instability by which one or a few chromosomes virtually "explode(s)" in a presumably single catastrophic event. According to current opinion, chromothripsis occurs at the beginning of tumor development and plays an important role in cancer onset. While the phenomenon was previously considered to be rather rare, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center have now shown that chromothripsis is detectable in almost half of all tumors. In cancer patients with solid tumors, metastasis – the dissemination of cells from the primary tumor – is the most common cause of death. This is particularly true in the case of malignant melanoma. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Heidelberg's Medical Faculty Mannheim have examined tumor samples from patients and have discovered a potential new target for therapy and have discovered a potential new target for treatment, at least in a special group of melanoma patients whose tumor cells produce the growth factor angiopoietin-2. The production of the growth factor in cancer cells was particularly evident in those melanomas that formed metastases. In further investigations in mice, the researchers demonstrated that tumor cells that produce angiopoietin-2 are protected against cell stress and thus have an advantage in metastasis. Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and major diseases at the same time: A balancing act for biomedical scientists Researchers, politicians and funding bodies find themselves in front of a unique situation and enormous challenge: The mounting pressure to accelerate and intensify efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic while handling the growing threat from all other diseases endangering our society. This balancing and how well the scientific community will respond to it will define health across the globe for years to come, argue scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) in the latest issue of the leading journal Cell. In their commentary, the researchers discuss how to strike a good balance between maintaining and redefining research priorities. European funding for two research projects with application potential With its "Proof of Concept" grants, the European Research Council ERC supports scientists to further develop the economic potential of their research results. Two scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Mathias Heikenwälder and Nina Papavasiliou, are now receiving the coveted funding. Both researchers want to advance the development of antibodies: as research reagents and for cancer prevention. Using mini colons to detect functional differences and weaknesses of colorectal cancer One of the main features of colorectal cancer is that there are considerable differences between the tumors of individual patients - at genetic level and hence in terms of the response to treatment too. Researchers from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) have developed a method that allows these differences to be identified more effectively. They use mini colons grown in the laboratory for their studies that allow them to work under conditions that are as similar as possible to those found in patients. The scientists perform a large number of parallel experiments on these "organoids", which improves the comparability of the results. Test for better prevention of cervical cancer receives FDA approval Women infected with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) have a high risk of developing cervical cancer. A test can help doctors to better assess this risk and identify those women who should be referred immediately for further diagnostic investigation. The test has now been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will soon be widely available to doctors and patients. The test was developed by mtm Laboratories AG, a spin-off from the German Cancer Research Center and the University Hospital in Heidelberg, which was acquired by Roche in 2011. Preventing metastasis - an antibody with therapeutic potential A receptor in the cell layer that lines the blood vessels from the inside stimulates both the formation of new blood vessels in tumors and metastasis. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg (DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg have succeeded in blocking this receptor with an antibody to thus prevent the growth of metastases in mice with breast or lung cancer. In animal experiments, they have thus shown a new principle for slowing down the metastatic dissemination of cancer cells. News Archive DeutschesKrebsforschungszentrum - Stiftung des öffentlichenRechts ImNeuenheimerFeld280 · 69120Heidelberg · Phone:+49(0)6221420 · Fax:+49(0)6221422995 · Imprint · Data privacy protection· Internet:www.dkfz.de · E-Mail:kontakt@dkfz.de

TAGS:Cancer German Center 

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The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) with its more than 2,500 employees is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany. At DKFZ, more than 1,000 scientists investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and endeavor to find new strategies to prevent people from getting cancer. They develop novel approaches to make tumor diagnosis more precise and treatment of cancer patients more successful. The staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. Jointly with Heidelberg University Hospital, DKFZ has established the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, where promising approaches from cancer research are translated into the clinic. In the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), one of six German Centers for Health Research, DKFZ maintains translational centers at seven university partnering sites. Combining excellent university hospitals with high-profile research at a Helmholtz Center is an important contribution to improving the chances of cancer patients. DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers, with ninety percent of its funding coming from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the remaining ten percent from the State of Baden-Württemberg.

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